Jamaican guilty in Fla. in major sex traffic case

MIAMI – A Jamaican man has been convicted by a South Florida jury of numerous charges related to an international sex trafficking case that involved women from the U.S., Middle East and Australia.

Damion St. Patrick Baston faces between 15 years and life in prison after his conviction last week on 21 criminal counts. Baston is to be sentenced Sept. 5.

Evidence in his 10-day trial showed that Baston used a false Florida identification card and U.S. passport to recruit and victimize women in countries around the world. Six women testified against him, saying they were beaten and raped and forced into prostitution.

Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer says the case involved one of the first uses of a U.S. law allowing prosecution for sex trafficking that occurs overseas.

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